لعمرُكَ ما يُنْسينيَ الدّهرُ روعَتي

لعمرُكَ ما يُنْسينيَ الدّهرُ روعَتي

بِفَقد أبي بكرٍ حَياتي ولا يُسلي

بِفَقد أبي بكرٍ حَياتي ولا يُسلي

By your life, time will never make me forget my anguish

By your life, time will not make me forget my anguish

at losing Abu Bakr, all my life, nor bring me solace.

at losing Abu Bakr, as long as I live, nor console me.

خَشيتُ عليه اليُتم بعدي فَليتَني

خَشيتُ عليه اليُتم بعدي فَليتَني

رُميتُ بما أَخْشى ولم أُرْمَ بالثَّكلِ

رُميتُ بما أَخْشى ولم أُرْمَ بالثَّكلِ

I feared he would be left an orphan after me—would that I

I feared he would be orphaned after me; if only I

had been struck by what I feared, and not by the loss of a child.

had been struck by what I feared, and not by bereavement.

فكلُّ بعيدٍ يُرتَجى جَمعُ شَملِهِ

فكلُّ بعيدٍ يُرتَجى جَمعُ شَملِهِ

وبُعدُ المنايا غيرُ مُجتمِعِ الشَّمْلِ

وبُعدُ المنايا غيرُ مُجتمِعِ الشَّمْلِ

For every distant one may hope to be reunited with his own,

For every distant one, there is hope of reunion,

but those parted by death shall never be gathered together.

but death's separation admits no reunion.